Self-destroying label



Dec. 7, 1965 l. KAPLAN SELF-DESTROYING LABEL Filed April 10, 1962 flTTOR/VEYS l P i //v VENTOR /R w/va KAPL A/V Tiq. E.

United States Patent 3,221,427 SELF-DESTROYING LABEL Irving Kaplan, El Cerrito, Calif, assignor to Trig-A-Tape Corp, Berkeley, Calif, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 11}, 1962, Ser. No. 186,526 2 Claims. (El. 40-2) This invention generally relates to pressure sensitive tapes and labels, and is more particularly directed towards improved means for effecting tearing or destruction of the tape or label when attempting removal thereof from a surface to which it has been applied.

In the general field of identification, pressure sensitive labels are frequently applied to articles for a variety of purposes. By way of example, retail stores may apply labels, having a price printed thereon, to the goods in the store. Whlle this manner of marking the goods has many obvious advantages, it also presents a problem in that a dishonest person can, with some care, deliberately remove a label bearing a lower price designation and substitute it for a higher price label on an article.

There has previously been developed various means to damage or destroy the label when the label is removed from the surface to which it has been applied. In general, such means have convention-ally included a series of perforations extending along the strip or label. It has been found, however, that Where the perforations have been applied to a continuous strip of tape in the form of a roll, difiiculty is encountered in feeding the free end of the strip without effecting premature destruction of the strip along the perforations. Also, even after a portion of the strip, in the form of a label, has been properly applied to an article. An unscrupulous person can frequently remove the label without destroying the tape, particularly if he carefully applies the label removing force in the general direction of the perforations.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a tape strip or label in which improved selfdest-r uction means are provided, resulting in a separation of the label into two or more parts, irrespective of the direction of force used in attempting to peel the label from the surface to which it has been attached.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tape of the character described in which means are provided for facilitating separation of the outermost convolution from a tape roll and feeding of the same through a feed and cut-off mechanism and/ or printing apparatus without danger of premature destruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tape of the above type in which a generally continuous weakened zone extends substantially longitudinally thereof, but in which portions of such zone are disposed in a plurality of directions angularly related to the length of the tape so as to facilitate the separation of tape portions on opposite sides of the weakened zone.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tape as hereinabove defined in which the tape portions on opposite sides of the weakened zone possess different degrees of rigidity and/or adhesive properties so as to further assist in the destruction thereof along the weakened zone.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a roll of tape fabricated in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a diagramatic end elevational view illustrating how the tape may be fed.

FIGURE 4 is a view of an article with a printed tape strip applied thereto.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a modified form of tape.

FIGURE 6 is :a plan view of a further modification.

The tape of the present invention is formed of any of the conventional materials such as paper, fabric, or the like and the lower surface thereof is provided with a layer or coating of a pressure sensitive adhesive. The tape may either be pre-printed with siutable pricing or other indicia, or may be printed or marked as the same is fed through a tape dispensing and label applicating machine such as shown in a copending application, Serial No. 164,807, filed January 8, 1962, entitled Pressure Sensitive Tape Segment Applicator. The particular materials used for the tape and adhesive for-m no part of this invention.

As shown in FIGURE 1, tape 12 is shown in the form of a continuous roll or coil 13 mounted on a suitable core 14. The tape includes a conventional base sheet 16 or paper or the like having an upper surface 17 on which suitable indicia may be marked, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 18 on the lower surface thereof whereby a tape segment or label 19, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, may be attached to a surface.

To assist in dispensing of the tape from the core, as well as to facilitate the self-destructive properties thereof in a manner to be subsequently explained, there is provided on the exposed surface of the adhesive layer 18, a pair of strips or bands 21, each strip extending adjacent a longitudinal edge of the tape. The bands may be formed of cellophane or like material, and during the coiling of the tape, prevent the entire exposed adhesive surface from contacting the tape surface 17 of a subjacent convolution, and thus facilitate unwinding of the tape. Also, as shown in FIGURE 3, these strips may be utilized in connection with the feeding of the tape by applying feed rolls 23 to the strips, rather than directly to the adhesive, which cooperate with feed rolls 24 engaging the tape surface 17.

As will be understood, the tape may be transversely cut to provide the segment or label 19 on which suitable pricing indicia 26 may be marked, and the label applied to an article 27 and caused to adhere thereto by the adhesive 18. With a tape constructed as above described, it would be possible to peel the label 19 from the article 27, and wrongfully replace it with a label bearing a lower price from another article.

In accordance with the present invention, the tape is weakened in such a manner as to effect a destruction of the label where removal is attempted. As shown, there is provided one or more weakened zones in the tape, extending generally along the length of the tape, and preferably inwardly of strips 21. Such zone, for optimum destructive capabilities is of generally undulating form, i.e., it has portions extending at an angle from the longitudinal axis, while still being substantially continuously in form. In FIGURES 1 through 4, the weakened zone comprises a zig-zag cut 31 positioned inwardly and adjacent each of the strips 21. Such a cut may be created, for example, by a so-called pinking die which is caused to enter the base sheet 16 from the upper surface thereof and substantially penetrate the sheet to the adhesive layer 18.

Where the cut is continuous, as illustrated, it will be appreciated that the tape portions on opposite sides of the out are merely held together by the adhesive layer, or possibly the bottom few fibers of the sheet 16. Consequently, in handling the tape, such as in feeding the same from the roll 13, the strips 21 form an important part in maintaining the integral properties of the tape. Also, it will be understood that the strips provide a strengthening or reinforcement of the tape portions outwardly of the cuts. Thus, when attempting removal of the label 19 from a surface to which it hasbeen applied, the unreinforced center portion of the tape has different characteristics than the reinforced outer portions, and de struction along the cuts 31 is facilitated.

It should also be made clear that since the cuts 31 are directed at dilferent angular inclinations to an edge of the label, separation of the tape portions on opposite sides of the cuts will occur irrespective of the direction of pull upon attempted removal of the tape.

If desired, the cuts 31 could extend entirely through the entire tape, including the adhesive layer, but in this event, the cut would be made of the perforated type rather than continuous. Such a perforated arrangement would of course still follow the Zig-zag configuration, and since perforation per se are known in the art, no detailed showing thereof is deemed necessary.

In FIGURE 5, a modified form of construction is illustrated which includes the base sheet 16, its layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, and strips 21. Here, however, in place of the zig-zag cut 31, a substantially continuous undulating or sinuous curved cut 36 is provided inwardly and adjacent each strip 21. The reverse curvature of adjacent portions of the cut provide for the same separation of tape portions on opposite sides thereof as previously discussed in connection with the main embodiment shown in FIGURES l and 2.

A further modification is shown in FIGURE 6 wherein the tape construction is again the same as previously described with the exception of the form of weakened zone. Here, in place of the two cuts, such as the pair 31 or the pair 36, which results in a destruction of the label into three portions, a single cut 41 is utilized. The cut 41 may be of the curved type as shown on the left hand side of the figure or of the zigzag type as shown in the right hand side of the figure. In either event, the 4 lateral outermost extremities of the cut will extend to adjacent the bands or strips 21. Upon attempted removal of an applied label, the tape will be separated along cut 41 into two portions and thus likewise fulfill its selfdestructive property.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-destroying label of the character described including a generally longitudinally extending base sheet, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower surface of said sheet, a narrow non-adhesive strip adhesively secured to said layer in parallel spaced relation to each longitudinal edge of said sheet, said sheet having weakening means therethrough extending substantially continuously along the length of said strip with portions of said means being disposed at different angular relationships to a longitudinal edge thereof, said weakening means comprising a generally zig-zag cut through the sheet along the length thereof and with the lateral outermost portions of the out being spaced inwardly of said strips.

2. A self-destroying label of the character described comprising a generally longitudinally extending base sheet, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower surface of said sheet, and a pair of non-adhesive strips respectively adhesively secured to said layer in parallel spaced relation to the longitudinal edges of said sheet,

said sheet having a pair of zig-zag cuts through said sheet respectively continuously extending along said sheet in inwardly adjacent parallel relation to said strips.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,726,744 9/1929 Krug 40125 X 2,272,262 2/1942 Carter 402 X 2,307,406 1/1943 Howard 40l25 X 2,565,509 8/1951 Marcin.

2,673,643 3/1954 Blank et al. 209-59 2,825,166 3/1958 Flood 40-158 2,845,728 8/1958 Huber 402 3,023,678 3/1962 Tschentschel 40-158 X FOREIGN PATENTS 722,932 2/ 1955 Great Britain.

5 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SELF-DESTROYING LABEL OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED INCLUDING A GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BASE SHEET, A LAYER OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID SHEET, A NARROW NON-ADHESIVE STRIP ADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID LAYER IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION TO EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID SHEET, SAID SHEET HAVING WEAKENING MEANS THERETHROUGH EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID STRIP WITH PORTIONS OF SAID MEANS BEING DISPOSED AT DIFFERENT ANGULAR RELATIONSHIPS TO A LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF, SAID WEAKENING MEANS COMPRISING A GENERALLY ZIG-ZAG CUT THROUGH THE SHEET ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND WITH THE LATERAL OUTERMOST PORTIONS OF THE CUT BEING SPACED INWARDLY OF SAID STRIPS. 